Portable pumping apparatus



Aug. 29, 1950 A. P. OSIUS 2,520,559

PORTABLE PUMPING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 14, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ""IIIIIIIIII",

- INVENTOR. 60 0406 1 40/ Q5705 Aug. 29, 1950 A. P. OSIUS 2,520,559

. PORTABLE PUMPING APPARATUS I Filed Feb. 14, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. flc/alob Pau/ OJ/UJ Patented Aug. 29, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,520,559 PORTABLE PUMPING APPARATUS Adolph Paul Osius, l )etroit, Mich. Application February 14, 1945, Serial No. 577,567

rate from the power and pumping unit assembly but is arranged so that it can be conveniently and quickly assembled to the power and pumping unit.

' The invention also contemplates a portable pumping apparatus which is efllcient in use and which will function under many and diverse conditions.

In fighting forest fires it is common practice to set the pump up near a stream, lake, or source of. water and then run, in some instances. several thousand feet. of hose up to the fire line. In dragging the hose from place to place while fighting the fire, pulling force is often applied through the hose upon the pumping apparatus. Thus, the pulling and tugging at the hose has the tendency to upset the pump and render it inoperative. It is an object of this invention to produce a portable pumping apparatus which is sturdy and which will maintain itself right side up even though a considerable pull is exerted through the hose on the pumping apparatus.

The invention also contemplates a portable pumping apparatus which is nicely adapted to fit upon the back of a man without discomfort to the man while being transported.

In the drawings:

4 Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing my pump ing'apparatus assembled to a tree while in operation.

Fig. 2 is a perspective Of the frame which supports the pum and engine power unit.

1 Fig. 3 is a view along the line 3-3 of Fi 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the gasoline tank disassembled from the engine and pumping units but in position to be dropped or placed upon the power and pumping unit frame. Fig. 5 is a perspective of the entire pumping apparatus minus the fuel tank but in position to receive the fuel tank.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing the fuel tank in upright position both for filling and transporting on the back of a man.

Fig. 7 is a detail showing the fuel hose connections with the tank.

' Referring more particularly to the drawings it 3 Claims. (Cl. 103-218) will be seen that my pumping apparatus comprises a gear pump generally designated I having a Water intake 2 and discharge outlet 3 to which the hoselis connected. The pump is driven by an internal combustion engine generally desig*-- nated 5. Pump I and engine 5 are mounted up- 0n;'and secured to, a platform 6. The platform 6 can. be made from metal either in-sheet or cast form and preferably takes the formof'a thin castingof one of the lighter metals, such as aluminum, magnesium, or their alloys.

I The platform 6 has three sockets 1 formed integral therewith. Upright tubular posts 8, 9 and ID are fixed in Sockets 1. Posts 8, 9 and ID are securedor fixed in the sockets 1 by any suitable means, such as by pins or Welding. The periphery l l of platform 6 is substantially U-shaped. A U-shaped tubular frame [2 is welded or otherwise secured to the top of front post 8 and adja-' cent the tops of the rear posts 9 and 10, A reinforcing cross piece l3 of channel shape extends across the rear of U frame i2 and is secured at each end to the ends of frame l2 and to posts 9 and I 9 preferably by welding.

Frame I2 carries three rubber pads 14, I5 and I6 adjacent the top of each of the post members. A thin metal panel member [1, preferably, curved or of arcuate section, encloses the space defined by the rear posts 9 and ill, the upper cross piece l3 and the lower rear edge of the platform 6. Panel I! can be welded to the frame members or secured theretoby screws. Panel I1 is curved or. arcuate in section notonly so that it will fit snugly to the back of the man who is transporting the pumping apparatus, but also so that the apparatus can be secured to atree as explained below. r -The vertical posts 9 and [0 have portions l8 and. I9 whichv project above frame member [2.

, These projections l8 and I9 telescope with the U socket members 20 and Zl respectively, of the fuel tank 22 and serve to both locate and retain tank22 in position upon the rubber pads I 4, I5 and I6 when the tank is assembled in operative relation, with engine 5. Sockets 2!) and 2| also serve as legs for supporting thetank 2! while it is being filled through filler tube 23 provided with cap 24. Filler tube 23 is arranged so that when the tank is positioned in horizontal position upon frame I2, filler tube23 will project upwardly from the then uppermost side '25 of the tank and when the tank is positioned vertically for filling or while being transported on-the back of a man, the filler tube will also project upwardly slightly above the top 25 :of tank 22 so that fuel willv not be spilled.

Tank 22 is provided with a plurality of eyelets 21 along each side of the tank through which quite obviously' can, if desired, be formed on the bottom side of the tank.

In view of the fact that the entire pumping apparatus is designed so that it is readily portable, it is desirable that the apparatus be as light as possible. Lightness is achieved by making the frame, fuel tank, as wellas. the engine and. pump preferably of lighter metals such as aluminum, magnesium, and their alloys. Fortransr porting the engine and. pump unit the frame member. is. provided withstraps 34. and. 35 having buckles 35- and 3.1... When theend of strap 34 is connected to buckle 36: and the, end of strap 35 connected to buckle 3.1. slack. is left. inlthe. straps to provide loops through which the arms of the: man. transporting the apparatus can be passed the loops serving. to retain the engine.

and pump/unit-on. the back of. the carrier.

lWhen. pumping water for fighting a. forest fire,. for example, it. is. desirable to secure the pump ing apparatus in an upright position so. that. it cannot be. tipped over. This. can be. accomplished securing. the. pumping apparatus. to a tree. In. such. case. the back. panel. I! being curved. Will- .assist in fitting thev pumping apparatus to. the

contour. orcurvature. of the. tree. trunk. I such case.- the end, of strap 34. is passedthrough buckle. 31. onstrap. 3.5 and the. end. of strap. 35. is passed through. buckle 35 on. strap; 34 to, form two. hori.- zontal loops about the tree trunk 38.. which sesurely holds the pumping apparatus in place. This. same. arrangement. permits the use of the. upper loop as. a. tote or headline and. the. use of.

the bottom loop about. the. waist of. the person' carrying the apparatus as. a steadyin-g strap. or loan I-t-will be. noted also. that. the intake end. 2. of pump I.. to, which is connected. the intake line. 4.0,. and the outlet 3 of the p.ump,, to which. is con-- nected. the. outlet.- line. 4., are positioned. close to platform 5... Thus, any pull exertedon the pump.- through hose 4 is. exerted near. the. ground. well below the: center of gravity of the. engine and pump. unit. and. therefore. less likely to upsetthe pumpingv apparatus... In other words, placing,

the pumpwith itsoutlets andhose. connections close to the ground gives the pumping apparatus stability, Platform. 6, also has cast or formed therewith short legs M opposite sockets I which intQlthe ground and also give the pumping apparatus stability;

vThe internal combustion engine 5 is a standard one. cylinder gasoline engine. and pump [is also a standard gear type pump; and therefore neither the engine nor: the pump I will be.spe cifically described{ It should be noted, however, that pump l is connected to the engine 5" immediately above platform 6 and therefore close; to'theground'. This locating of the pump I close to oradjacent to platform 6 contributes to lowering the center of gravity of the entire pumping apparatus which also gives stability to the same.

Tank 22 is provided with a flexible fuel line 50' which can be readily connected to the inlet-fitting'Sil f the float bowl of the carburetor of engine 5 when tank 2-2 is mounted upon the frame in operative relation. One end of fuel line 50 is connected to outlet fitting 52 for tank 22 controlled by the manually operated valve 53. The other end of flexible hose 59 is provided with a female connection 54 which, when the engine is operating, is connected to the male carburetor fitting 5i. When tank 22 is disassembled from the engine for transporting of the same, fuel line 50 is disconnected from the carburetor by unscrewing female connection 55 Line 5|} is now connected to male outlet fitting 55' on the tank by screwing female connection 54 on to fitting 55. Thus, when the tank is being transported, there is no. chance for fuel spilling out of the same. When hose 50 is disconnected from fitting 55, fitting 55 serves as an air vent to tank 22 thereby preventing the formation of a Vacuum in tank 22' which would stop the flow of fuel to the: engine; Thus, this arrangement obviates any element of human error in forgetting to open the: vent, As a-rnatter of fact, tank 22 cannot be connected to the engine without opening vent 55. Failureto open an airvent to the fuel;v tank isa. common failure in the operation of the pres.- ent. type of internal combustion enginedrivenpumping. apparatus. Failure to open the. air ventin the. fuel tank causes a vacuum lockzwhich: cuts off the-flow of the fuel to the engine.

Iiclaim: 7

LA. portable. liquid pumping apparatus for pumping. liquid from onepoint remote from said apparatusto another. point remote from. said ap paratus comprising in combination a frame in-- cluding a platform adjacentthe lower edge of theframe. and. adapted to rest upon the ground. a pump and an internal combustion engine. for. driving said pump mounted upon said platform; and. a rear vertical panel for the frame member adapted to. rest against. theback of the person; transporting. the apparatus, anda pair of looped-v members positioned adjacent the sides; of said: panelv through which the. arms. of the person transporting the. pumpingv apparatus. maybe passed to secure. the apparatus on the back of I the. carrier, each'of. th looped members being a.

strap. extending vertically along the vertical. sides. 7

of. the .back.'pane1 and provided with means. for connecting the ends of the. straps to form vertical. loops, the. said straps also. being arranged sothat. the: upper ends of the. straps canbe con-- nected to form a horizontal loop. and. the. lowerends. of the straps. can. be connected. to. form a horizontal loop. adapted to pass. around. a vertical support, .member. such as a tree. to which. the pumping apparatuscan be-secured.

2. A portabl liquid pumping, apparatus? comprising a-platform, a liquid-pump and an engine for driving.- the same mounted on. said pfatfornn; a plurality of vertical posts extending upwardly from said platform,v an upperframe member-secured to the upper endsof said posts-,, a removable fuel tank'supported'on the upper. frame member, sockets, on said fueltank arranged' to telescopically engage the upper ends ofsome-of said posts, tot'retainthe tank on the-frame for slll plyingv fuel% to the engine. 3i.- Aportablepumping apparatus comprising-in combination a frame having a platform adjacent, 7

the base of the frame, a liquidpulnpandamotor; for driving the pumpmounted: on the platform, saidframe; extending" above the said: engine; and; pump, a support on the top of the frame; are.- movable fuel tankadapted torrest upon thesupport above the engine, means carried by'the tank and frame for connecting; the tank and. frame 5 6 when the tank is resting upon the frame, said UNITED STATES PATENTS means comprising a plurality of pins and sockets carried by the tank and frame member which ggg g gifi g z telescope when the tank is positioned upon the 1286528 Carson 1918 frame. 5

1,676,424 Carr July 10, 1928 ADOLPH PAUL OSIUS' 1,832,620 Cook et a1 Nov. 17, 1931 1,953,331 Armstrong Apr. 3, 1,953,606 Hobson Apr, 3, 1934 The following references are of record in the 2355035 Thicke Aug 1, 1944 file of this patent: 10 

